Developer: Rebellion
Publisher: Rebellion
Release Date – March 30, 2021
Tycoon games for a good long while seemed as if they went the way of the RTS. Seminal, classic genre’s of games that seemingly vanished as PC’s grew to mainstream numbers and controllers and console ports grew more numerous.
Simcity, Rollercoaster Tycoon and more used to occupy entire shelves at old gaming stores in the early 90’s. Rarely ported to consoles, these games thrived and provided a unique experience adjacent to RTS and 4X PC only titles at the time.
As the genre developed, the hunt for the right gimmick increased. We saw everything from SimANT, to Traffic Tycoon and everything in between.
Evil Genius released on the tale end of the Tycoon genre with a great take on the formula. Instead of a mayor, business manager or small family, you played as a dastardly criminal mastermind. Think classic 60’s James Bond and less Austin Powers, and you have the right idea.
Playing as the three different leaders provided a unique choice of henchmen. This henchmen actually provided the bulk of the game’s variety. Each one had a special look, voice, and a multitude of different buffs and areas of expertise that touched the entire span of the game.
Alas, despite it’s unique flair and outstanding visual presentation, Evil Genius did have some clunk areas and the two halves of the game, lair management and world domination, both felt lacking a depth needed to truly sink lots of time into the game after a single playthrough.
This was all back in 2004, and shortly thereafter the Tycoon genre slowly faded into obscurity for more than a decade.
Thankfully, as indie games have grown, PC game’s popularity and diverse set of players has classic PC genre’s making a comeback. Microsoft just released Flight Simulator with a new Age of Empires soon to follow.
Planet Coaster and Two Point Hospital have seen classic creators return to the genre they loved, while games such as Tropico kept the flames burning for years waiting for this new age to emerge.
On the heels of this explosion, Rebellion is set to bring back Evil Genius in a sequel. Even in preview form, Evil Genius 2 encapsulates everything awesome about the original and steps up all the areas it suffered from in the original release.
Right away the Villains themselves stand out more. More unique traits and flair help them standout compared to their primary henchmen. The minions that work inside your base. Whether they are building new rooms or getting beat up by good guys truly stand out due to the excellent visuals.
The entire game essentially follows on the original premise. Lair management is akin to Dungeon Keeper. Expand your island, and set traps and devious schemes to thwart any good guys or Super Agents who try to stop you.
As you generate schemes and build up infamy, you get more heat from local law enforcement. As your heat rises, more frequent attacks and tougher agents will get sent in to stop you.
It’s a fun mechanic, and it really provides a bridge that make the two different forms of management come together. Every choice in one area will have an effect on the other. Even more than different villains and islands, those choices are what drive the gameplay variety and already want me to experiment with completely different builds and playstyles for subsequent sessions.
The bit I played only let me go so far, so in a few weeks I will be able to give my full review. For now, Rebellion has done a great job of bringing this back and Evil Genius 2 is shaping up to make good on the premise of it’s predecessor.
